Relating to the issuance of a diploma to a student graduating from a public institution of higher education that has undergone a merger, acquisition, or name change.

Contracts

• Printing & Fulfillment Vendors: You must immediately renegotiate contracts with third-party vendors (e.g., Jostens, Parchment).
• Asset Retention: Contracts must require vendors to maintain "ready-to-print" templates of retired institutional names and seals for six years post-change.
• Volume & Pricing: You will experience a 100% volume increase for the specific cohort of eligible students. Ensure your contract does not automatically bill the student for the second unit, as this is illegal.

Hiring/Training

• Registrar Staff: Staff must be trained on the specific eligibility window: students are only entitled to the dual diploma if they graduate within six years of the name change or merger.
• IT/Systems: SIS administrators must patch degree audit systems to apply "If/Then" logic based on the student's initial enrollment date versus the institutional name change date.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Audit Trails: You must maintain proof of issuance for *both* documents. Failure to issue the legacy diploma is a violation of the Education Code and creates liability for administrative grievances.
• Digital Asset Management: You must archive and maintain high-resolution vector files of retired seals, logos, and formatting styles. These cannot be permanently deprecated while the six-year statutory window is open.

Fees & Costs

• Cost Absorption: Section 51.995(d) strictly prohibits charging the student for the additional diploma. The institution must absorb the cost of printing, handling, and shipping the second document.
• Budget Impact: While the Legislative Budget Board anticipates low fiscal impact, individual Registrar budgets will see a line-item increase for printing services.